A group of ambitious lower sixth students and teachers from schools across Northern Ireland spent three days at the 探花直播 of Cambridge last week getting a taste of student life and learning about the applications system.

探花直播ten Northern Ireland pupils and five teachers were guests of Pembroke College. Each pupil was teamed up with a current Cambridge student who they 鈥渟hadowed鈥 to lectures and supervisions.

Claire Hunter, 17, from Ballyclare High School, who is interested in studying law, said: 鈥淐ambridge is a lovely place with old buildings and brands news ones too, and lots of bikes everywhere. It's a friendly and welcoming place. Spending three days here has given me a snapshot of student life.鈥

Sam Lockhart, 16, from Down High School, said: 鈥淐ambridge is much more laid back and mixed than I'd thought it would be. 探花直播fact that you belong to a college make it pretty unique and the lectures I went to were really interesting.鈥

Planning to apply to Cambridge to study medicine, Sam will be the first person in his immediate family to go to university. 鈥淭here's a lot of competition for places at Cambridge but it's worth applying just to see what happens,鈥 he said.

This is the fourth year that Pembroke College has hosted a group from Northern Ireland schools for a shadowing scheme that covers all the pupils' travel and accommodation costs, aiming to show high-flying pupils that they can access the best universities.

Pupils stay in student accommodation and have a chance to sample social as well as academic life, getting a glimpse of the huge array of opportunities available at Cambridge.

Susan Stobbs, Admissions Tutor for Pembroke who set up the scheme, said: 鈥淲e hope these visits will help to dispel the myths that some people have about Cambridge.鈥

Studying at Cambridge can work out as less expensive than studying at many other universities. Students pay rents in term-time only and terms are short - and they incur no travel costs while they are here. On top of that they have access to the extensive Cambridge Bursary Scheme for financial support.

In a move to bring its admissions system more in line with other universities, Cambridge has scrapped its separate application form and from now on applicants will apply to Cambridge online through UCAS. 探花直播deadline for applications remains as October 15.

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